About Us
Our goal is to develop and implement a culturally responsive, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) prevention program for African American young adults in Louisiana.
Project PEER addresses a critical need to provide and scale-up sustainable prevention peer navigation services to African American young adults who are at high risk of developing HIV and/or SUDs. Primary implementation occurs at SUBR, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) that serves the target population and is located in Baton Rouge, LA, a high-risk geographic catchment area with significant disparities in HIV and SUDs prevalence and incidence. Over the course of 5-years, the project will directly serve 1,350 students through campus and community-wide educational sessions and testing events, and 5,000 African American young adults through the launch of the Project PEER mobile-health app.
Project Goals
- Adapt existing evidence-based HIV and SUDs prevention and peer navigation interventions to meet the needs of African American young adults
- Provide HIV and SUDs prevention and linkages to care services to African American young adults
- Implement campus- and community-wide HIV and SUDs prevention risk behavior and risk reduction public awareness campaigns
- Increase testing/screening for HIV and SUDs to prevent transmission, facilitate linkages to care, and enhance treatment as prevention outcomes
- Train community providers on integrating HIV/AIDS testing and SUDs screening in service provision
Services Provided
- Testing
HIV and viral hepatitis with linkages to care services provided by Lead Navigator - Screening
Substance use disorder(s) with linkages to care services provided by Lead Navigator - Supply Distribution
Condoms
At-home HIV testing kits
At-home HCV (Hepatitis C) testing kits
- Education and Training
HIV and Substance Use Disorders
Community Partners
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Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
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O’Brien House
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Eternal Crisis Outreach Inc.
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Open Health
Behavioral Counseling and Education Services LLC
Southern University Partners
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University Counseling Center
Office of Disability Services
Project PEER Team
Ebonee Johnson
University of Iowa Project Director
Ebonee-Johnson@uiowa.edu
Clarence Merckerson
Southern University Project Director
clarence_merckerson@subr.edu
Milan Jackson
Lead Navigator
milan.jackson@sus.edu
Jeremy Swanston
Graphic Designer
Jeremy-Swanston@uiowa.edu
Alyssa Provencio
Graduate Assistant
Alyssa-provencio@uiowa.edu
Danette Brown
Project Consultant
(HIV)
Joseph Pete
Project Consultant
(Substance Use Disorders)
Gerta Bardhoshi
Project Evaluator
Duhita Mahatmya
Data Manager
Community Advisory Board
Joseph Pete, Ph.D., NCC AP – Capital Area Recovery Program
Danette Brown, MSW, LMSW – Ryan White Program Administrator, City of Baton Rouge
Sonya Milliman, SME – Harm Reduction and Prevention Coordinator, Capital Area Re-Entry Program
Lindsay Allen, M.S., LPC – Professional Counselor 5/Supervisor; Capital Area Human Services
Christine Gibson, MPA – Prevention Services Program Director; O’Brien House
Jaime Roques, MPA, MPH, APRN – Director of Special Projects, Open Health
Roy Mitchell, CAC – Executive Director, Behavioral Counseling & Education Services, LLC
Jada Netters – Coordinator, SU Office of Disability Services
Susan Flowers, Ph.D., CRC – Assistant Professor, SU Department of Rehabilitation, Disability Studies, and Counseling
Valaray Irvin, Ph.D. – Executive Director of SU Counseling Center/Licensed Psychologist
Nena Verrett-Gipson – Coordinator of Fitness and Wellness at SU Horace W. Moody Intramural Sports Complex
Awareness Days
February 7: National Black HIV/AIDS Day
March 10: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
April: National Minority Health Month
April: Alcohol Awareness Month
April 10: National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
April 10-16: STD Awareness Week
April 11-17: Black Maternal Health Week
April 18: National Transgender HIV Testing Day
May: Mental Health Awareness Month
May 18: National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
June: Pride Month
June 5: HIV Long Term Survivors Awareness Day
June 27: National HIV Testing Day
July: National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
September 18: National HIV & Ageing Awareness Day
September 27: National Gay Men’s HIV Awareness Day
October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October 3-10: Mental Health Awareness Week
October 13: Herpes Awareness Day
October 15: National LatinX AIDS Awareness Day
October 23-31: Red Ribbon Week
November: National Men’s Health Month
December 1: World AIDS Day